Largest Holy Family Home expansion unveiled

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This article was published 28/10/2019 (2462 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s one of the largest undertakings in the history of Holy Family Home: a four-storey building expansion with 157 new long-term care beds, according to president and chief executive officer Jean Piché.

An official ceremony was held Oct. 22 at the personal care home located at 165 Aberdeen Ave. to present the $66.7-million addition to the public.

“This is going to ensure the continued viability and attractiveness of Holy Family Home to the communities that we serve for the next generation and beyond,” Piché said.

The building replaces Building B which contained 116 beds. Each of the seven units has 21 beds, and areas for dining, activity, bathing, relaxing, and support staff.

It took three days to move 116 residents from the old building into the new units, Piché said, but it was achieved with the help of staff, volunteers, and family members.

A new 10-bed special care unit on the ground floor will be a space for residents with severe dementia and disruptive behaviour.

“These are very important because what we find in a lot of elderly people who have been diagnosed with dementia or dementia-related conditions is sometimes they can develop behavioural issues and disruptive behaviours and they require a specialized setting in which to care for them,” he said.

Construction of the expansion began in April 2016, with project planning stretching back to 2007.

“It’s been a long process,” Piché said. “We’ve had such tremendous support from so many people that it was well worth it in the end.”

Holy Family Home was established in 1957 and is owned by the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate. The centre provides faith-based programming and personal care to seniors.

“We feel tremendously accountable to the people that we serve here, and by that I mean our elderly citizens, mostly in the Ukrainian/Slavic communities but not exclusively, and we feel a very, very real need that comes to us from the Sisters and their belief in serving the community in a very meaningful way,” Piché said.

Cathy Cox, Minister of Sport, Culture, and Heritage, attended the ceremony on behalf of the province and Cameron Friesen, Minister of Health, Seniors, and Active Living. She described her own personal connection to Holy Family Home.

“My granny was here many years ago, and there is such a large demand for personal care home spaces here in Manitoba, and especially in the Ukrainian community. So by opening up 157 additional beds, this is really going to make such a difference for the entire community here in Winnipeg,” Cox said.